Driving Test Ctr Jiat Lui!
And as usual, the 154th claims that Sporns support it!
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>No-refund policy back at driving test centres from Oct
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Ang Yiying
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->BOOKED a driving test but cannot make the date?
From Oct 1, you will no longer get a refund, even if you cancel ahead of time.
The move is designed to stop aspiring drivers from abusing the system by making multiple bookings, cancelling them at the last minute and auctioning test dates, said Traffic Police spokesman Danny Tan.
Those practices 'squander' test slots and force other drivers to wait longer for their chance to prove themselves behind the wheel, he said.
The no-refund policy marks a return to the past. The Traffic Police used to have one, but lifted it in 2004, when test bookings were outsourced to the three private driving centres.
Since then, it has seen an inordinately high number of people make multiple bookings, which cost $6 for theory tests and $20 for practical exams.
Between 2005 and 2007, an average of 8,800 people a year scheduled more than one test at a time. About 15 per cent of roughly 238,000 theory tests, and about 28 per cent of roughly 104,000 practical tests booked each year are cancelled.
That amounts to about $800,000 in refunds annually.
Earlier, media reports also highlighted the practice of 'auctioning' driving test dates online.
The scheme saw seller and buyer meet at the driving centre, where the seller would cancel his test date, after which the buyer would immediately book the freed-up slot.
From Oct 1, cancelled test slots will not be put back into the system immediately, so they cannot be snapped up, said Mr Tan. Officials from two of Singapore's driving centres said the change would help reduce waiting times, which can be up to two months for theory exams and four months for practical tests.
The Straits Times also understands that from Oct 1, the three driving centres are not going to refund other outlays when practical tests are cancelled. These include fees for warm-up ,practical lessons and car rental charges, which together cost about $120 to $130.
Most aspiring drivers welcomed the no-refund move, including Ms Chelcy Leong, 29, who will be taking her advanced theory test on Sept 29.
'It's fair to others. Some are kiasu, they book and cancel. So, there's at least available space for other people. It's quite difficult to book the tests,' she said.
Eighteen-year-old NSF Ryan Tan also welcomed the move, but said it might unfairly penalise those who genuinely needed to cancel their test.
The Traffic Police say they will, however, consider waiving the forfeited test fees if a person has a valid reason, supported by documents. The three test centres are Bukit Batok Driving Centre, ComfortDelgro Driving Centre and Singapore Safety Driving Centre.
